Trump rules out any deal except ‘unconditional surrender’ as Iran vows to defend its ‘dignity and sovereignty’
United States President Donald Trump demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender" on Friday and ruled out any deal, a dramatic escalation of his demands a week into the war he launched alongside Israel.
Trump made the remarks on social media just hours after Iran's president announced that unspecified countries had begun mediation efforts in one of the first signals of any diplomatic initiative to end the conflict.
"After that, and the selection of a great and acceptable leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before."
On Thursday, Trump had told Reuters in a telephone interview that he was demanding the right to help select Iran's new supreme leader, to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in the war's first day.
Israel pounded the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday after ordering an unprecedented evacuation of the entire southern suburbs of the city, in a major expansion of the war.
It carried out heavy air strikes on Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut and started a "broad-scale" wave of attacks against infrastructure in Tehran, while Iran said it targeted the heart of Tel Aviv with missiles.
Explosions and flashes lit up the night sky over Beirut's southern suburbs. The Israeli military said it had carried out 26 waves of strikes overnight in the southern suburbs, saying targets included Iran-backed Hezbollah militia command centres and weapons storage facilities.
It also launched a new wave of attacks on Iran, saying 50 of its warplanes had struck a bunker beneath the destroyed Tehran compound of Khamenei, still being used by Iran's leadership after he was killed.
Iran says some countries have begun mediation efforts amid retaliatory strikes
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian revealed that some countries had begun mediation efforts as the Islamic Republic continued its retaliatory strikes against Israel and US military bases in the Gulf region.
“Some countries have begun efforts at mediation,” Pezeshkian wrote in a post on his official X handle.
“Our response to them is clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region, but we have not the slightest doubt in defending the dignity and sovereignty of our country,” he added. “The intended audience for mediation should be those who, by underestimating the Iranian people, have stoked the flames.”
Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let's be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation's dignity & sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict https://t.co/MxWCuNYOYR
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Kheibar missiles were fired towards Tel Aviv as part of the 21st wave of its “Operation True Promise 4". In a statement, the IRGC said the wave began with a combined missile and drone operation targeting sites in the heart of Tel Aviv.
Overnight, Iranian drones attacked the US Al Udied airbase in Qatar, the biggest US base in the Middle East, Qatari officials said. There were no reported casualties.
The IRGC said Iranian forces had targeted the Ramat David air base and a radar site in Israel, the Al-Adiri camp in Kuwait where US forces are stationed, and a drone attack on a base hosting US troops in Erbil, Iraq.
A Guards spokesperson said new initiatives and weapons would soon be deployed to confront Israeli and U.S. aggression, without giving details.
"This was an 'existential war' for Iran, leaving us with no choice but to respond wherever American attacks originate from,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said at the Raisina Dialogues conference in New Delhi on Friday.
Hezbollah, in a message published in Hebrew on its Telegram channel early on Friday, warned Israelis to leave towns within five kilometres of the border.
"Your military's aggression against Lebanese sovereignty and safe citizens, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the expulsion campaign it is carrying out will not go unchallenged," Hezbollah said.
At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran since the fighting began a week ago, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
The Lebanese health ministry has reported 123 people have been killed and another 683 wounded as a result of Israeli attacks this week. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. There have been no reported fatalities in Israel as a result of Hezbollah attacks.
Azerbaijan was preparing unspecified retaliatory measures on Thursday after it said four Iranian drones crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave. Iran, which has a significant Azeri minority, denied it targeted its neighbour.
Ground troops in Iran
Trump said on Thursday it would be a "waste of time" currently to consider sending US ground troops into Iran, NBC News reported, dismissing the Iranian foreign minister's warning that such a move would spell disaster for invaders.
"It's a waste of time. They've lost everything. They've lost their navy. They've lost everything they can lose," he told NBC by telephone, adding that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's earlier remark that Iran was ready for a US or Israeli ground invasion was a "wasted comment".
US President Trump said Iran is being demolished “ahead of schedule and at levels people have never seen before”, claiming the country now has “no air force, no air defence” and the air force is “gone”.
🔴 Follow our LIVE coverage: https://t.co/q1Q18tbGFl pic.twitter.com/ILTEFBYY5mTrump also indicated he is keen to see Iran's leadership structure removed and that "we want to go in and clean out everything" quickly.
"We don't want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period," he said. He added that he had ideas for a new leader but declined to name anyone.
Trump said earlier he would "have to be involved" in the appointment of Iran's next leader after US-Israeli strikes killed Khamenei when the conflict began on Saturday. He rejected the possibility that Khamenei's son Mojtaba could succeed his slain father, dismissing him as a "lightweight".
Heavy attacks were reported in Tehran after Israel said it was hitting "regime infrastructure" in a "new phase" of the war it launched with the US against Iran.
Read: Middle East war spreads to Lebanon, Iraq as Israel attacks Tehran
The conflict, now in its seventh day, has seen Iran target Israel, the Gulf states, Cyprus, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. The violence has also spread to the Indian Ocean, where a US submarine sank an Iranian naval ship off the coast of Sri Lanka.
The Iranian ship was invited to take part in the International Fleet Review 2026 in India. The strike killed around 87 sailors.
Welcome! | خوش آمدید!
🇮🇳🤝🇮🇷 Indian Navy welcomes IRIS Dena, of the Iranian Navy, on her arrival at #Visakhapatnam to participate in #IFR2026_India and #MILAN2026, reflecting long-standing cultural links between the two nations.@India_in_Iran #BridgesOfFriendship… pic.twitter.com/O77v2qNJHJAccording to former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, he wrote in a post on X that, "I am told that as per protocol for this exercise, ships cannot carry any ammunition. It was defenceless."
The Iranian ship will not be where it was if we had not invited it to talk part in our Milan exercise.
We were the hosts.
I am told that as per protocol for this exercise ships cannot carry any ammunition. It was defenceless.
The Iranian naval personnel had paraded before… https://t.co/3r8bWFJn8dAraghchi has rejected calls for a ceasefire and stated there was no reason to negotiate with the US. Despite the challenges, Iranian forces continue to retaliate against Israel and its allies. According to Drop Site News, Iran warns that it has not begun using their "new" weapons.
IRGC spokesman Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini said, according to Mehr News Agency, “The enemy should expect painful blows in every operational wave,” he said, adding that Iran’s “new innovations and weapons” have not yet been used on a large scale.
⭕️ Iran warns new weapons have not yet been used
Iran is prepared for a prolonged war and has not yet deployed many of its newest weapons systems, IRGC spokesman Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini said, according to Mehr News Agency.
➤ “The enemy should expect painful blows in… https://t.co/54Lc5YXOFeUS-Israeli escalation
On Friday morning, Iranian media reported heavy strikes in Tehran shortly after Israel’s announcement that it was targeting Iran’s "regime infrastructure".
Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, warned that the US-Israeli campaign had entered the next phase and would “further dismantle the regime and its military capabilities”.
Zamir also hinted at "additional surprises" to come, but declined to disclose further details. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that “firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically".
🚨Important: IDF Chief of Staff outlines next phase of war against Iran and Lebanon
▪️On Iran, Israel will escalate strikes aimed at weakening the Iranian state:
“We will intensify the blow to the foundations of the regime and its military capabilities. We still have additional… pic.twitter.com/rJdN0O3UmBIran’s Revolutionary Guards responded by launching missiles toward Tel Aviv after an earlier explosion in central Israel caused a fire at a residential building. AFP journalists reported hearing simultaneous explosions in Tel Aviv, while rocket trails lit up the sky in Netanya, further north.
Trump backs Kurds
In the midst of the escalating conflict, Trump expressed support for Iranian Kurdish militias in Iraq, encouraging them to intensify their attacks against Iran.
Speaking to Reuters, Trump stated, “I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that, I'd be all for it.”
These militias, based along the Iran-Iraq border in Iraqi Kurdistan, have been in consultations with the US on launching attacks on Iran’s western security forces.
Read more: Iran hits CIA site in Riyadh as US seeks to arm Kurdish forces against Tehran
Security sources reported two Iranian drone strikes on an opposition camp in Iraqi Kurdistan on Thursday, underscoring the rising violence. Iranian Kurdish forces have been preparing for such operations to weaken Iran’s military while US and Israeli airstrikes target Iranian installations.
Iran’s future leadership
Meanwhile, Hegseth sought to clarify that, despite Trump’s comments, there were no changes in the US military’s objectives in Iran. "There’s no expansion in our objectives. We know exactly what we’re trying to achieve," Hegseth said.
Also read: US investigation points to likely US responsibility in Iran school strike, sources say
Azerbaijan prepares retaliation
Azerbaijan has vowed to retaliate after "Iranian" drones crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave. President Ilham Aliyev condemned the attacks as an “unprovoked act of terror and aggression” and vowed to take action.
Hezbollah responds
Hezbollah, an armed force fighting against Israeli aggression in Lebanon, launched missiles in retaliation for the war.
Displaced families are seeking shelter on a beach, facing dire conditions.
Attacks across region
US forces sank an Iranian frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka that had travelled to India to take part in a parade, while Azerbaijan threatened retaliation after a drone attack on an airport. Iran also targeted US bases inside Gulf countries, including Qatar, which intercepted a drone targeting a US base in Al-Udeid. Bahrain reported an alleged attack on a hotel and residential buildings, while Saudi Arabia intercepted three ballistic missiles.
Casualties mount in Iran, Lebanon
In Lebanon, 77 have died. Thousands have fled southern Beirut, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Additionally, two paramedics have been killed in Shiraz, Iran, according to Al Jazeera.
UPDATE: Two paramedics killed in Shiraz, Iran: Report
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/C3iSVX4pRP pic.twitter.com/CXHJVw5D20More than 3,000 homes in Iran were damaged by US-Israeli attacks, according to the Red Crescent.
Pir Hossein Kolivand, president of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, says the US-Israeli attacks have damaged 3,643 civilian sites, including 3,090 homes. Also damaged are 528 commercial and service centres, 14 medical or pharmaceutical facilities and nine Red Crescent facilities, he said.
Most of the targets, he added, were in “densely populated residential areas”.
Drop Site News reports that 20 more Iranian civilians were killed and 30 injured after US–Israel strikes hit the Zibashahr residential area of Shiraz, a major city in southwestern Iran about 420 miles south of Tehran, the acting head of the political deputy office of the Fars Province governorate said, according to Islamic State News Agencies.
🚨 New: 20 Iranian civilians killed in U.S.–Israel strikes on residential area in Shiraz
At least 20 civilians were killed and 30 injured after U.S.–Israel strikes hit the Zibashahr residential area of Shiraz – a major city in southwestern Iran about 420 miles south of Tehran –… https://t.co/TRKWPIvfDdProlonged conflict preparation
US officials, including Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, confirmed that strikes from Iran have significantly diminished, with ballistic missile attacks decreasing by 90% and drone attacks down by 83%. However, Pentagon officials reaffirmed their commitment to the ongoing campaign, emphasising the availability of sufficient munitions for a sustained effort.
Global disruptions
The conflict has disrupted global markets, energy supplies, and travel. While oil prices have surged, global logistics and air transport have been heavily affected. Iran claims control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy chokepoint, but the US has signalled it may escort ships through the area if necessary.